place

Sontag Hotel

1902 establishments in KoreaBuildings and structures completed in 1902Buildings and structures demolished in 1922Demolished buildings and structures in South KoreaDemolished hotels
Korean Empire
Sontag Hotel Postcard (cropped)
Sontag Hotel Postcard (cropped)

Sontag Hotel (Korean: 손탁 호텔) was the first European hotel in Korea. It was built in 1902, in Jung District, Seoul, Korean Empire. The hotel was sold in 1917 and eventually demolished in 1922.The 25-room hotel was bestowed to a German Russian, Antoinette Sontag, by Emperor Gojong. She was the sister-in-law of the Russian ambassador, Karl Waeber. It is said that she could speak German, Russian, English and also some Korean, gaining wider acknowledgement from the royal family. However, she was almost expelled from Korea when Japan's influence in Korea grew. In September 1909, J. Boher assumed ownership of the hotel.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Sontag Hotel (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Sontag Hotel
Deoksugung-gil, Seoul Sogong-dong

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Sontag HotelContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 37.568888888889 ° E 126.975 °
placeShow on map

Address

서울덕수초등학교

Deoksugung-gil 140
03185 Seoul, Sogong-dong
South Korea
mapOpen on Google Maps

Sontag Hotel Postcard (cropped)
Sontag Hotel Postcard (cropped)
Share experience

Nearby Places

Third Battle of Seoul

The Third Battle of Seoul, also known as the Chinese New Year's Offensive, the January–Fourth Retreat (Korean: 1•4 후퇴) or the Third Phase Campaign Western Sector (Chinese: 第三次战役西线; pinyin: Dì Sān Cì Zhàn Yì Xī Xiàn), was a battle of the Korean War, which took place from December 31, 1950, to January 7, 1951, around the South Korean capital of Seoul. In the aftermath of the major Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) victory at the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River, the United Nations Command (UN) started to contemplate the possibility of evacuation from the Korean Peninsula. Chinese Communist Party chairman Mao Zedong ordered the Chinese People's Volunteer Army to cross the 38th Parallel in an effort to pressure the UN forces to withdraw from South Korea. On December 31, 1950, the Chinese 13th Army attacked the Republic of Korea Army (ROK)'s 1st, 2nd, 5th and 6th Infantry Divisions along the 38th Parallel, breaching UN defenses at the Imjin River, Hantan River, Gapyeong and Chuncheon in the process. To prevent the PVA forces from overwhelming the defenders, the US Eighth Army now under the command of Lieutenant General Matthew B. Ridgway evacuated Seoul on January 3, 1951. Although PVA forces captured Seoul by the end of the battle, the Chinese invasion of South Korea galvanized the UN support for South Korea, while the idea of evacuation was soon abandoned by the UN Command. At the same time, the PVA were exhausted after months of nonstop fighting since the start of the Chinese intervention, thereby allowing the UN forces to regain the initiative in Korea.

Deoksugung
Deoksugung

Deoksugung, also known as Gyeongun-gung, Deoksugung Palace, or Deoksu Palace, is a walled compound of palaces in Seoul that was inhabited by members of Korea's Royal Family during the Joseon monarchy until the annexation of Korea by Japan in 1910. It is one of the "Five Grand Palaces" built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty and designated as a Historic Site. The buildings are of varying styles, including some of natural cryptomeria wood), painted wood, and stucco. Some buildings were built of stone to replicate western palatial structures. In addition to the traditional palace buildings, there are also forested gardens, a statue of King Sejong the Great and the National Museum of Art, which holds special exhibitions. The palace is located near City Hall Station. Deoksugung, like the other "Five Grand Palaces" in Seoul, was heavily damaged during the colonial period of Korea. Currently, only one third of the structures that were standing before the occupation remain.Deoksugung Palace is special among Korean palaces. It has a modern and a western style garden and fountain. The Changing of the Royal Guard, in front of Daehanmun (Gate), is a very popular event for many visitors. The royal guard was responsible for opening and closing the palace gate during the Joseon Dynasty. Outside of the palace is a picturesque road with a stone wall.The Deoksugung Stonewall walkway is at the heart of a popular urban myth in Seoul, as it is said that all couples who walk down this road are fated to break-up.